TS Galaxy heaped further pressure on Black Leopards as goals from Wayde Lekay, Bathusi Aubaas and Mxolisi Macuphu secured a 3-0 win at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday.
Lekay scored in the first half while Aubaas and Macuphu added their names to the scoresheet after the break, before Leopards were reduced to ten men in the closing stages of the contest, rubbing further salt in their wounds.
After a muted opening to the encounter, the match sprang to life in the 11th minute as Wayde Lekay fluffed his lines in front of goal after being teed up by Luckyboy Mokoena's pinpoint cross.
Lekay had another chance to fire the Rockets in front a few minutes later but again failed to hit the target after attempting a volleyed shot on goal.
Leopards eventually mustered a noteworthy response in the 23rd minute but Galaxy goalkeeper Marlon Heugh was alert to the danger, standing firm to deny midfielder Roderick Kabwe what looked to be a certain goal.
Lekay was proving to be Galaxy's biggest threat up-front and he again went close to breaking the deadlock in the 28th minute as his goalbound shot was kept out by King Ndlovu in the Leopards goal.
However, he would eventually make amends for his earlier missed chances as he went on to fire Galaxy in front with 10 minutes remaining in the half. Lindokuhle Mbatha was fouled in the area and from the resulting spot-kick, Mxolisi Macuphu saw his shot saved by King. However, Lekay was the first to react, beating the defence to the ball before firing home.
Leopards would fall further behind ten minutes into the second stanza as Aubaas got in on the act, latching onto Ndlovu's punched clearance before rifling a rocket of a shot into the back of the net.
Macuphu would follow suit in the 75th minute as slotted the ball into the back of the net with a powerful header after being teed up by Mbatha from a corner kick.
And Leopards' frustrations boiled over in the closing minutes of the clash as Sibongiseni Mthethwa saw red for a reckless challenge.
That proved to be the last action of note as Galaxy comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to secure a third straight victory.
- TEAMtalk media